This invention relates to an apparatus for removing frangible objects from a container, and more particularly, to an apparatus for unloading ceramic packing from an acid tower or similar container.
During production of acids, various solid packing materials are used in the acid tower. The processing vessel, or the acid tower, needs to be emptied and cleaned from time to time. At that time the packing material, which is conventionally called “ceramic packing” needs to be removed from the vessel. Conventional ceramic packing is made of frangible ceramic material; they are formed in various shapes and sizes.
Conventionally, the ceramic packing is removed from the acid towers by mining or vacuum. The vacuum tubes or hoses used are typically 6 inches in diameter. Due to the size and shape ceramic packing becomes locked together and removal of the ceramic packing presents a substantial difficulty. A typical acid-processing tank is about 60 feet high and 9–25 feet in diameter. The packing may be deposited on a support grid of the tank and occupy up to 15 feet of the height of the tank. In effect, the interlocking saddles form a packing column in the processing tank.
With conventional equipment, even if two vacuum machines are used in tandem, the cleanup and removal operation is extremely slow, allowing to move about 200–300 cubic feet an hour. When the typical area to be cleaned is about 7000 cubic feet, one can expect to spend about 30 hours cleaning up the acid tower and unloading the ceramic packing. During vacuuming, the ceramic pieces, being frangible, often break. However, the breakage is of no concern since the packing is disposed of after it has been removed from the acid-processing vessel, or tank.
The present invention contemplates elimination of drawbacks associated with the prior art and provision of an apparatus for unloading the ceramic packing or similar frangible objects from a container.